Hi all, I have a network of about 100 computers. Right now we have a company hosting our websites (we have 3 websites because we are really 3 companies in 1) Right now we all get our email using a POP3 style configuration from the company that hosts our websites. I am trying to convince my boss to get Exchange 2007 and I was wondering if you can give me some reasons so that I can tell him that it is a good idea to get it. We also have some Blackberries for employees and I think those can benefit from it as well. I found on the web reasons to "upgrade" to 2007 but that does not apply since we do not have an "older" version of exchange. Thanks
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Help me convince my boss to get Exchange 2007! 7
- Thread starter Newb2IT
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For 100 users you're going to have to cost justify it. How much are you paying the 3rd party to host your email vs how much it will cost you to acquire the hardware/software and then the cost of administration of the system.
You could also expand upon the communications advantage of having your own Exchange server say in conjunction with a Sharepoint server.
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
You could also expand upon the communications advantage of having your own Exchange server say in conjunction with a Sharepoint server.
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
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If you only pay $29, then why do you want to host your own email? Considering I just purchased a new server to handle 450 mailboxes at a cost of nearly $18000, that's a lot $29/mth expenses.
I'd stick with the $29 price.
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
I'd stick with the $29 price.
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
- Thread starter
- #5
Holy $%^& Batman! You got quoted $50,000 for an Exchange server to handle 100 mailboxes?!?!?
That, my friend, would have been a terrible overpayment for a need you can't even justify to yourself.
Count yourself lucky you didn't go down that road.
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
That, my friend, would have been a terrible overpayment for a need you can't even justify to yourself.
Count yourself lucky you didn't go down that road.
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
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Well I believe that Blackberry Enterprise Server Express is free for up to 15 users, and you can put it on just about any hardware. So you may be looking at a total of maybe $15k for the hardware...another couple thousand for software. Then you'll have to consider your backup solution...that could add yet another server maximum, or backup agent costs minimum.
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!
- Thread starter
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I'll do it for $25,000! 
BES Express is free, and supports up to 15 users. But you still pay for the license for each past the first one.
If it were me, I'd go to a hosted Exchange solution. You get the best of both worlds. Exchange, and lower cost.
Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.
BES Express is free, and supports up to 15 users. But you still pay for the license for each past the first one.
If it were me, I'd go to a hosted Exchange solution. You get the best of both worlds. Exchange, and lower cost.
Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.
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Where is all your user data currently being stored -- PST files from Outlook I'd guess? Are these on a central storage area that gets backed up each night, or on each workstation's PC drive? How often do your PST files get corrupted (or if it's a network store, how often do people forget to close Outlook and hose the backup job?) What happens when a PC drive dies?
Would Webmail be nice for people (including access to all new and old mail, calendar items, contacts, task lists, etc.)
How are people managing calendars and contacts now? Is that solution being backed up nightly?
Exchange isn't utopia by any means, but it's better than POP3 mail.
Would Webmail be nice for people (including access to all new and old mail, calendar items, contacts, task lists, etc.)
How are people managing calendars and contacts now? Is that solution being backed up nightly?
Exchange isn't utopia by any means, but it's better than POP3 mail.
Two cups and string is better than POP3.
Networked .pst files aren't supported and aren't recommended. A hosted Exchange solution would be a great fit here. Some offer Blackberry support as well. You'd get Outlook connectivity, Blackberry support, Outlook Web Access, support for Windows Mobile devices, etc.
I don't work for a hosting company, but when you're looking at a small business like 100 people, it can sometimes make a lot of sense.
Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.
Networked .pst files aren't supported and aren't recommended. A hosted Exchange solution would be a great fit here. Some offer Blackberry support as well. You'd get Outlook connectivity, Blackberry support, Outlook Web Access, support for Windows Mobile devices, etc.
I don't work for a hosting company, but when you're looking at a small business like 100 people, it can sometimes make a lot of sense.
Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.
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- #15
Yes pst files from outlook which reside on the users local, hard drive, they do not get backed up. PST files almost never has gotten corrupted, in the alst 7 years believe it or not we have not experienced a hard drive dying. Webamil would be very ice yes, with contacts, calendar task..very very nice. Users now manage their own contacts and calendars, there is no central server for that. Having a central location wold be nice. No pst are being backed up. Ive looked at hosted exchange solutions and for aobut 100 users is $1200 a month...that is a lot of money since we now pay $29 per month...I am not sure my boss wants to go from $29 to $1200 per month even though all the features that exchange brings are nice. Not sure what to do. I guess Ill have each user use windows backup to backup their pst's to a network share or something like that
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The main reason I talk clients from Pop3 to exchange is for the workgroup features. The need to share calanders, folders, public folders schedule conference rooms. The ability to login on several machines and have all you mail and folders available for example if you have a terminal server. Central backup of the exchange server backs up all your e-mail. Usually the collaboration that you would get out of exchange would justify the expense for a company with 100 users.
Mark
Mark
If you've gone 7 years without losing a drive among 100 users, you are living a charmed life! Even if you're pretty aggressive about upgrading machines before they're old it's not unusual to have a new drive konk out in its first few months. At the very least it's a good idea to back up those PST files once in awhile, even if it's a scripted hacked together solution. If the boss loses 7 years of e-mail you might be looking for a job, even if it's not your fault.
Don't forget to factor in an Exchange-aware anti-virus if you are putting together budget figures.
Don't forget to factor in an Exchange-aware anti-virus if you are putting together budget figures.
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Hosted mail is nice as you don’t have to worry about backups or restores, that’s their problem, as soon as you implement exch you will need Server + licensing + backup solution and Antivirus.
Just a note: The way I handle pst is to place them on the Exch server.
That way when Partners & PA's are in the office all old mail is available and all Partners & PA's have 700MB mailboxes, for fairly current mail up to +/- 2yrs.
7 years no HDD failures WOW, what make are they? In seven yrs I've had server HDD failure, and around 50 HDD failures at least, also 100 users. Just had 3 in the past week. And all computers here are no older than 3yrs.
Just a note: The way I handle pst is to place them on the Exch server.
That way when Partners & PA's are in the office all old mail is available and all Partners & PA's have 700MB mailboxes, for fairly current mail up to +/- 2yrs.
7 years no HDD failures WOW, what make are they? In seven yrs I've had server HDD failure, and around 50 HDD failures at least, also 100 users. Just had 3 in the past week. And all computers here are no older than 3yrs.
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ShackDaddy
MIS
You should look into the new Essential Business Server that Microsoft is releasing this November. It's a three-server solution that includes Exchange 2007 and supports up to 250 users.
Also look into the Intel blade server solution for SMB. I know that fully loaded with four servers, it's still only $18k, and combined with EBS, which includes server-side AV and anti-spam, you have a pretty powerful solution for around $50k that includes hardware for four servers.
On the other hand, depending on what industry you are in, there may be a minimal return on enhanced collaboration, and it might not be worth spending all that on a new email infrastructure. Some industries would get along just fine with circa 1998 technologies. Maybe the money your boss is saving is going to nice company Christmas parties and bonuses, and it could suck to lose that.
Dave Shackelford
Shackelford Consulting
Also look into the Intel blade server solution for SMB. I know that fully loaded with four servers, it's still only $18k, and combined with EBS, which includes server-side AV and anti-spam, you have a pretty powerful solution for around $50k that includes hardware for four servers.
On the other hand, depending on what industry you are in, there may be a minimal return on enhanced collaboration, and it might not be worth spending all that on a new email infrastructure. Some industries would get along just fine with circa 1998 technologies. Maybe the money your boss is saving is going to nice company Christmas parties and bonuses, and it could suck to lose that.
Dave Shackelford
Shackelford Consulting
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